Issuing Press Releases
Companies with products the value of which may be influenced by information contained in an abstract may issue a press release coinciding with the availability of the abstract to the public (see ASH's annual meeting embargo policy). In general, no press releases (embargoed or not) on studies submitted for consideration for the ASH annual meeting may be issued before the abstracts are made public on the ASH website. Violation of this policy may result in the abstract being rejected for presentation at the ASH annual meeting.
Exception to Embargo Policy - SEC Regulations
In certain situations, a publicly traded company may be advised by legal counsel that certain data from the abstract must be disclosed to the public prior to the public release of the abstracts in order to comply with requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or a corresponding regulatory body in the country where the company’s stock is traded. Under such extenuating circumstances, ASH may grant an exception to its embargo rules and allow the company to release limited topline data (i.e., general findings with no additional analysis, commentary, investigator quotes, etc.) from the abstract without jeopardizing its eligibility for presentation at the annual meeting. In order to request an exception to the ASH embargo policy, the following should be sent to the ASH Communications Department with a copy to the corresponding author of the abstract:
- detailed information about the release, including the nature of the data to be included and timing of the release; and
- a letter signed by legal counsel (see sample letter) advising that disclosure of the information is necessary to comply with applicable securities laws and that the information contained within is only the minimum necessary to ensure such compliance.
The press release (see sample press release) should note that the abstract has been submitted (or accepted, if appropriate) for presentation at the ASH annual meeting. ASH will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis and reserves the right to change the type of presentation (e.g., from oral to poster) or remove the abstract from the annual meeting program if the released information is judged to substantially detract from the novelty of the annual meeting presentation.
Information that goes beyond that which is contained within the four corners of the abstract (e.g., additional analysis, commentary, or updated information from those individuals and companies involved in the study) is embargoed until the time of the presentation. Companies planning to distribute a press release containing embargoed information must ensure that the release clearly displays the embargo date and time. The company issuing the release assumes responsibility for ensuring embargoed releases are only distributed to reporters who will abide by ASH’s embargo policy.
ASH encourages individuals to check the ASH abstract website for correct embargo dates/times. Questions regarding the correct embargo dates/times for the ASH annual meeting abstracts should be addressed to Communications Manager Andrea Slesinski by e-mail or by phone at 202-552-4927.
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On-Site Press Materials
For the convenience of registered media, companies and institutions are invited to bring press materials to be displayed in the press room after review by the Society’s press relations staff. Approved press materials will be displayed in a location designated for non-ASH press materials.
Information contained within the press materials must specifically pertain to research being presented at the annual meeting. If a company has a booth in the ASH exhibit hall, it is permissible for the company to also list their booth number in the press release.
Absolutely no unsolicited materials of any kind may be handed out in the hallways outside the press room, or anywhere in the convention center. Press releases may not be handed out at exhibit hall booths; companies should use the ASH Press Room for the distribution of press releases.
To meet the criteria for display in the press room, all press materials must:
- Be clearly labeled with the abstract numbers of the research being highlighted. Placing the abstract numbers and embargo times at the top of the first page of the press release is required.
- Prominently display the proper embargo times of the abstracts highlighted. Please contact the ASH media relations staff if you have questions regarding the correct embargo dates/times for the ASH abstracts.
- Include a citation that properly states the name of the Society. An example of recommended text: “This information was presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology.” Use of the ASH logo without explicit written permission is prohibited.
Institutional or corporate materials, as well as any materials of a promotional nature, are not permitted in the press room. Examples of prohibited materials include:
Branded folders (only plain or clear folders are allowed; use of company letterhead is permissible for press releases)
Press releases must be printed. They cannot be distributed in any other format.
Corporate backgrounders or press kits
Press releases regarding data that will not be published or presented at the ASH annual meeting
Press releases on the availability of experts, or lists of experts
Media advisories and alerts, such as lists of presentation times and locations
Product backgrounders, such as a fact sheet on a particular drug
Disease backgrounders that highlight only one treatment (disease backgrounders are permissible if they are unbranded and either contain no treatment information or an overview of all available treatments)
The annual meeting abstracts are copyrighted by ASH and cannot be reprinted or included in third-party press releases or press kits.
Press materials must be dropped off for review on site to the staff in the ASH Press Room at the annual meeting. It may take up to 24 hours for materials to be approved for display. Press materials cannot be reviewed prior to the meeting, and they cannot be shipped directly to the convention center or to the Society’s headquarters office.
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Non-ASH Press Events and Friday Satellite Symposia
Press briefings, news conferences, and press receptions, other than those sponsored by the Society, are permitted; however, they cannot be held on site at the convention center or at any time during ASH-sponsored events. In accordance with ASH’s embargo policy, such press activities (including webcasts for the press) may not occur until after the abstract’s presentation time at the annual meeting when the embargo lifts. Non-ASH press events about ASH abstracts are not permitted before the ASH annual meeting. To arrange an event, please review the ancillary meeting guidelines and reserve a meeting time and room online.
Although ASH prohibits the distribution of press materials anywhere in the convention center other than the ASH Press Room, companies and other groups are permitted to distribute press materials during off-site ancillary meetings.
Companies sponsoring Friday Satellite Symposia may not disseminate information related to the ASH annual meeting embargoed program beyond the information contained within the four corners of the published abstracts. The Society’s name cannot be used in Friday Satellite Symposia announcements or materials, or in any other manner that gives the appearance of endorsement. Unauthorized use of the ASH logo is prohibited.
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Violation of ASH Policies by Corporations/Institutions
If a company violates any of the above ASH policies, ASH reserves the right to reduce the violating company’s priority points, prevent participation in future Friday Satellite Symposia, prevent access to ancillary meeting space in future years, and/or prevent the company from participating as an exhibitor in future years.
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